Tales we tell of sleepless nights
by viv-heart
Summary: Modern AU, Even the worst of days has its good sides


**AN: for sa-mu-uu**

 **Thanks to Stirling Phoenix for betaing**

 **Op belongs to Oda-sensei**

 **Reviews and Concrit are appreciated**

* * *

It was past four in the morning. The bar was almost empty. Kid noted that there were only three other guests, two sitting together at a table and a single man at the bar who was yelling at one of the barkeepers.

Kid looked at the other one, pointing lazily at his now empty glass. The man nodded and grabbed the bottles he needed.

Kid watched him with tired eyes, noting the tattoos on his knuckles for the first time. Death. _What would bring a man to get such a tattoo_ , he wondered. He decided to study the bartender in front of him even more.

He was tall and dark skinned, but the dark circles under his eyes still stood out. He had messy and spiky dark hair and an incredibly soft looking goatee. Another notable thing was the golden earrings he was wearing. Unfortunately, there was a dress code for the employees, meaning that Kid couldn't learn anything from the man's clothes.

He wouldn't admit it loud to anyone besides Killer, who had taught him anyway, but he liked reading people and atmospheres. Too bad he was tired, slightly drunk and in a pretty bad mood. The day had been hell.

Something fell down and Kid turned to look for the cause of the noise. He realized with some amusement, that it had been the other guest who had been sitting at the bar that fell down, while the bartender standing in front of him was laughing like mad.

The bartender was a slim blond man with unusually pale skin - even though it couldn't compare to Kid's own - and a curly eyebrow. Kid snickered under his breath, catching the eye of his own barkeeper. He looked back at the two guys next to them, realizing that he was done with analyzing the blond as the only other remarkable thing was the cigarette in his hand.

Kid's attention swept to the guest who was sitting at the bar again, barking rude things at the bartender. He had green spiky hair, shorter than the death-guy's and three earrings in the ear facing him. Why had so many guys those days golden earrings, Kid wondered. Did he miss a trend? Not that he cared at all.

Besides that, he was wearing a black leather jacket and black jeans with some biker boots. He looked like a punk or something, and there seemed to be whiskey in front of him.

"Don't pay them any attention. It's normal." the bartender, Law, as Kid read at his name tag when the other moved into the light by leaning forward to put Kid's drink in front of him, spoke, sounding extremely bored.

"How so?" Kid asked with interest. The blond was working after all, wasn't he?

"Sexual frustration, idiocy, rivalry... The hell if I know," Law responded with the same bored voice.

"It usually starts around this time as Zoro has drunk quite a lot by now, and even Sanji isn't sober anymore." He fell silent, but continued when he saw Kid's doubtful look. "This is his bar, so he can do what he wants. And fighting with Zoro seems to be one of his favourite things when there isn't much to do here."

"So you know the other guy as well?" Kid decided to get as much information as he could. Not that he had better things to do, and listening to a tale about two idiots could even lighten up his bad mood.

"Not really. He comes here every day. Sanji has been behind the bar since before I even started here, and it took me some time to even learn his name from the yelling since he doesn't speak to others at all. A long time he was known to me only as moss-head."

Kid nodded, glancing back at the two men who seemed to have calmed down a bit even though they were obviously still arguing.

"What are they even arguing about?" Kid continued his questioning and took a gulp from his glass.

"Nothing at all. That's the joke." Law shrugged while pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

Kid couldn't understand the current hype about the drink but he didn't care.

"But why are you that interested in them? It's Friday night and you're asking questions about two men in their early thirties who argue like small children." Law commented, pushing his sleeves up, revealing even more tattoos. It seemed that after his boss was occupied, he could loosen up a bit.

"I believe it isn't your business." Kid muttered, looking Law straight in the eyes.

"It isn't." Law agreed without looking away. "But you could tell me anyway." he grinned. "It's not like you have anything better to do."

"I have." Kid replied nonchalantly

"Really? What could it be?" Law raised an eyebrow, a wide grin still over his face.

"Watching two men in their early thirties argue like small children." Kid stated in such an uninterested voice. Law couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"I have a better suggestion." he leaned forward after calming down, the grin back at his face. "How about we get out into the alley. Not that I am needed here..." he glanced at Sanji, who had just ducked from a glass Zoro threw at him. "He won't miss me."

"Ah?" Kid raised an eyebrow. "And what do you want to do in the alley? Rob me and strangle me to death with those hands already bearing the name of death?"

"Sure. It's not like you are two times bigger than me." Law rolled his eyes.

"I am drunk," Kid replied drily.

"Yes or no?" Law repeated with annoyance. "I won't ask again."

Kid stood up instead of replying and made his way towards the front door. He had a fair idea which alley Law meant and walked there.

He wasn't too sure what to expect, not sure if the barkeeper had been flirting with him or acted like that on a regular basis, but he didn't expect to see the other leaning against a wall, rolling something in between his fingers.

"Seriously?" Kid asked after finally realizing what Law was doing. "You think I should smoke that in my current state?"

"Why not?" Law asked, not looking up. "It's not like you are completely wasted. You are just slightly intoxicated. And hey, I won't force you."

"Just shut your mouth and hurry up." Kid muttered with resignation.

They smoked for a while in silence, listening for any noise coming from the inside. Apparently, some more glasses were smashed and Zoro fell from the bar stool again, judging by all the noise.

"How the fuck does he even fall down like that? He didn't seem too drunk!" Kid shook his head, grinning lazily.

"I believe he does it for fun and to practice falling or something." Law shrugged. "I stopped questioning things like that a long time ago. For sanity's sake."

"Understandable." Kid nodded, his eyes not leaving Law's slim fingers that rolled the joint in between them. His gaze followed them to Law's face and Kid felt his mouth water when the man licked over the rim of the paper to seal it. The bartender was more than attractive in Kid's eyes, with his many tattoos and the striking sarcasm.

Law lit the joint and inhaled, his eyes closed. He really was beautiful in the dim light and Kid really had to remind himself that those thoughts weren't appropriate at a time like this. He had more pressing matters to think about, not a stupid hot bartender he just met.

The redhead took the joint from the other, feeling his gaze on him. Kid decided to ignore it for the time being and the two smoked in silence.

"We should go back inside. Or are you already leaving?" Law asked, his voice husky, when he dropped the remnants of the joint into the canalization.

"I am going back," Kid muttered and made his way into the bar.

It was quiet when Kid entered, no falling, no sound of smashing glass, no yelling. The sight at the front of the room surprised him, Zoro and Sanji were making out. Next to them, in the back door, Law stood with a risen eyebrow. When he saw Kid, he walked around the bar with quiet steps and pushed the redhead backwards to the main entrance.

"Let's get out," he mouthed and Kid nodded, walking backwards out of the door.

"Is that normal?" he asked Law who had put a hand over his mouth while his upper body shook violently.

The bartender shook his head, trying to suppress the laughter.

It took a while for Law to calm down, the surreal situation combined with the drugs getting the best of him, but when he finally got over it, Law looked up at Kid with a serious expression.

"You – me – my place?" he asked. "It's definitely not like he wants me there now."

Kid stared at him with unbelieving eyes, aware that his senses were clouded thanks to the drugs, but suddenly, all of Law's actions made sense. The only reason he hadn't noticed before the obsession with the past day.

"Sure." he grinned. "Sounds good to me."


End file.
